Merlin's Isle
by FarisPants
Summary: Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale: a tale of a fateful trip. That started off of Camelot's shore aboard a tiny ship. The mate was a magic kind of kid, the Skipper's brow was sure. Five passengers set sail that day for a three hour tour... with Merlin and Gaius too. The billionaire and his son. Morgana his ward. Guinevere, and Leon. Here on Merlin's isle.
1. Chapter 1

"This is a _private_ cruise," the blond, hunky one said.

"That it is!" Merlin agreed. He tipped his hat and ducked past him to mount the S.S. Alice.

"Hey! Off the boat!"

Merlin wove around the snarling passenger and beamed at Gaius. Gaius nodded at him but remained focused upon his conversation with the older gentleman who had bought out the tour. Merlin turned to begin checking that everything was prepped for casting off. As he leaned over against the rail, the pursuing blond shoved him so that he nearly toppled overboard. The only thing keeping Merlin on ship was how the pressure on his arm, which was pinned against his back, was strong enough that his hip was catching on the railing.

"I said off. The. Boat."

"As part of the essential crew, I am not able to oblige."

"The essential crew?" the hunk of jerk snorted.

"Yessir," Merlin chirped. "I'm the hired muscle."

The bully flexed one of his arm muscles into Merlin's back. "I could lift more than you can lift without breaking a sweat."

"Then we'll save the brute labor for you, today, sir, and I'll just deal with those tricky technical aspects." Merlin let himself start to slide more over the edge and, when his tormentor was readjusting his grip, wiped out one of his legs so he could turn around. "Well, it's been a pleasure, but duty calls. It's all 'Merlin, check the water level, Merlin ready the casting.'"

"Merlin," the blond huffed in a way that suggested he doubted Merlin qualified as a real name.

"That's it! You got it right on the first go round," Merlin said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some final preparations for our voyage today, and in order to guarantee a timely departure, I should hop to it."

He turned with the full intention of readying the boat, but then Morgana le freaking le Fay sashayed down the dock and maybe he squealed like a fangirl even though he had only seen a couple dozen of her movies.

Morgana turned her exquisite face and her hair flowed out behind her like one of her shampoo commercials. She made a pullover sweater and skinny jeans look like they belonged on the cover of Vogue.

"Don't be getting any funny ideas about my sister," the incorrigible prat snapped.

"Easy, Arthur," said a beaming man with a mop of curls. "Not everyone is used to growing up with celebrity beauties traipsing through their house. Besides, their only meeting is three hours on a crowded boat" He offered a hand to Merlin. "I'm Leon, Mr. Pendragon's secretary and, whenever Arthur's feeling amenable, his friend." Arthur's expression suggested that he was not currently feeling particularly amenable. "This is actually my first time on a boat. I grew up in the Midwest. My parents are farmers."

"Wait for it, wait for it," Arthur said. "Yeah, that's the sound of _no one caring_."

Merlin's draw dropped at Arthur's hostility, but Leon chuckled fondly and turned to give the final member of their party a hand boarding the boat.

"Gwen," Arthur said.

"Arthur," she replied. Gwen had a shock of curly hair and an aura of friendliness that instantly set Merlin at ease.

"Merlin," Merlin offered. "Er, Ms. Morgana, if it's not a bother, could I ask you for an autograph?"

"There's a lot of things you could do," Arthur said. "Your job, for starters."

"Is he always this sassy?" Merlin asked. Leon barked a laugh, threw an uneasy look at Arthur, and went instantly straight-faced.

"I like you!" Morgana crowded. "May we keep him?"

"You can't keep people," Gwen said. "But you could give the man an autograph."

"Merlin!" Gaius called from the wheel. "You'd better get a move on. We're leaving today."

"Aye, aye, Captain!"

It took a quarter hour for them to pull away from the dock and navigate through the other moored boats. They hit the border of Camelot Harbor and Gaius pulled out his megaphone to begin his narration. Gaius liked a healthy dose of mysticism on tours, but today he kept strictly factual. He mentioned the Volscragg shipwreck but completely passed over the Kracken's Cavern and the Ethereal Waterspouts of Tauntandras. Morgana sat at the prow of the ship and stared glassy-eyed at the water like a couched maidenhead. Arthur looked determinedly bored next to his father, who despite the jaunty bouncing of the boat over the water, appeared to be entirely unruffled. Leon sat closest to Merlin and held a life preserver in his lap; whenever they went through a particularly rough patch of water, he held it with white knuckles. Gwen looked green around the gills and appeared to be meditating.

Merlin sat at the back of the boat and stared out at the place where land met sky. Gaius' description of primitive fishing techniques was enough to lull him into a hazy half-awake state. His face felt all warm and toasty and he had nothing to do until they came back to port. Merlin tilted his head back against a seat cushion and smiled at the beautiful sky. Except—

In a matter of seconds, the innocent cumulous clouds stretched and darkened; lightning sliced the sky. The water became choppy. Merlin stared at the distant point where previously sky met water. It appeared utterly placid. Totally calm. Absolutely unperturbed. Which could only mean one thing.

"Merlin!" Gaius shouted. Merlin turned back to the front. Gaius was shepherding the passengers to the center of the boat. Leon was squeezing three life preserves. Gwen looked as pale as Merlin had ever seen a black person look.

"On it!" Merlin shouted. He grabbed a line from the mooring and hooked it onto his belt before running out to the prow. Localized storms were possible, but at this extent, it was not just a patch of foul weather. Merlin held a net over the side of the boat. The boat bucked over a few swells before he managed to haul it back on board, and it was filled with dead fish. Merlin closed his eyes to concentrate.

Localized effects. Instant changes in weather patterns. Hordes of dead fish. Potential remote activation—unless someone on board wanted to kill them all—but active third party involvement and advanced ensorcelling capabilities. He opened his eyes and started. Crawling onto the boat from the back was a great fanged monster with ugly, muddy features and a snarl that numbed Merlin.

_Earth and water. Earth and water._

Merlin slipped and slid to the back of the boat. The creature's weight was beginning to submerge the boat. Merlin put one hand on the fuel and held the other to the sky. He could feel the beast's foul breath cold on his skin.

He blinked gold.

Fire erupted as the fuel exploded upon the creature; wind torpedoed through its body and it emitted a terrible screech. It tumbled backwards, but Merlin conducted a cyclone that held it above water until its body turned to ash.

The waters calmed slightly, and Merlin made his way back to the front of the ship. Merlin needed an anchor if he stood any chance of fighting the storm and keeping the boat whole. The rain had grown heavier, and he could no longer make out where the storm ended.

For a harrowing hour, Gaius tried to guide S.S. Alice through the waters while Merlin frantically bailed water and worked on-the-spot repairs. Visibility continued to worsen and the sky was growing increasingly black even though Merlin was fairly certain it was only one thirty. Merlin sent out pulses for land, but they kept getting tossed and lost in the current. Merlin had just reached portside when the boat landed hard and he flipped over the edge and onto a beach. The water yanked the boat back and was set to drag Merlin with it; he crouched close to the ground on all fours and the waves settled.

The S.S. Alice lay crumpled on the sandy beach with a still-smoking back end and a crunched frame.

"Is everyone alright?" Merlin tried to shout, but he instead began hacking out seawater.

Arthur was the first out from the central cabin. He looked around the shore, out over the misty albeit calm waters, and fixed a stern eye upon Merlin.

"How in God's name," he demanded, "did you manage to set a boat on fire _during a rainstorm_?" He sounded profoundly perplexed.

Merlin offered him a goofy grin before he resumed coughing heartily.


	2. Chapter 2

Mr. Pendragon proved to be incredibly bossy. Shortly after his stately evacuation from the wreckage of S.S. Alice, he positioned himself on a boulder and began barking orders while pummeling his nonresponsive phone. Gwen, following a quick overview of the other passengers' phones, determined that an electrical power surge from the combination of waterlogged technology and lightning was responsible for the failure of every single electronic device on board. Merlin smiled apologetically at Gaius as Gwen made the announcement, and Gaius's eyebrows tilted into a vertical, judgmental slant.

"We'll build a raft out of life preservers!" Mr. Pendragon announced. "We will paddle our way back to civilization."

"There's no saying that we aren't on mainland," Leon said hopefully. He had vomited twice and been holding his head between his knees for the last several minutes.

"To the contrary," Gwen said. "Notice how much of the foliage appears to be old growth and how, although there is a perfect landing area for the beach, there is no sign of any mooring structures. The evidence is inconclusive, but—"

"We're fresh out of paddles," Merlin reported. The sea monster had crushed the paddlerack and they had doubtlessly been lost overboard. Gaius' eyebrows grew even steeper.

"We should obviously assess what we've got." Morgana lounged at the broken hull of the boat.

"And pull the boat further ashore," Arthur added. "In case the waves come back for the remnants."

"Finding potable water needs to be a top priority." Gwen hopped onto a bench and looked for pooling rainwater on the cabin's roof.

"I'll look for water if Arthur and Leon want to move the boat," Merlin suggested innocuously. It took a pick-up truck to budge the S.S. Alice, and he was delighted at the thought of Arthur struggling and ultimately failing to move the boat across sand.

Gaius offered him a compass, but the needle didn't settle. Gwen reckoned that they were still in an electro-magnetic irregularity zone. Merlin filled his pockets with shells from the shore and set out into the forest. After a minute of walking, even Mr. Pendragon's barking orders fell to the buzzing of insects and a breeze whistling through the leaves.

The undergrowth was thick enough that, even though the storm posed several questions, Merlin couldn't get lost in his thoughts. He trudged through ferns and vines, wedging seashells into trees every twenty feet or so. He was so focused on making a path that it took him a moment to notice that there were someone else's thoughts in his head.

_Merlin! Merlin! I know you can hear me!_

Merlin froze and looked around the forest.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

_Finally. I was starting to suspect you were too foolish to comprehend basic thoughts._

"Who are you?" Merlin asked more urgently. He threw out pulses; the little blue spheres flickered through the trees but revealed no one.

_Come to the volcano. It is time that we meet._

"I'm a bit busy at the moment, actually," Merlin called. "And I don't know where this volcano is."

_There is fresh water near the volcano._

"Yeah, alright then," Merlin said. "Lead the way, you disembodied voice you."

He traipsed through the woods following the guidance of the voice in his head. Merlin ran out of shells in a matter of minutes. The voice was not the kindest navigator.

_Turn east. East, Merlin. Do you not even know directions?_

"Actually, no," Merlin said. "On account of the compass not working and my being in the middle of the jungle."

_Sense it._

"Sod it." Merlin adjusted his course more to the right.

_East, Merlin. Not west._

Merlin span in the opposite direction. He had hardly taken a step when the voice erupted in laughter.

_You sensed correctly the first time. _

"You bastard!" Merlin crowed. "Are you actually leading me anywhere, or are you trying to get me lost?"

_Who is to say what is or is not? Only time can tell the truth._

"You're a funny little fellow, aren't you?" Merlin mused. He stepped into a sinkhole that covered up to his knee; when he pulled his leg free, it was completely covered with mud. The voice sniggered. Merlin swiped a branch away from his face, and the volcano burst into sight before him. "Alright; I'm here. Where are you?"

_You must enter the volcano_.

"You're not serious." Merlin pushed through a dense fern to get a better look at the volcano. It was belching steam and most likely responsible for the heavy fog that clung to the shores. "It's active!" He caught sight of a rivulet twisting around the base and made up his mind. "I'll come talk to you later; I don't have time to climb a volcano. The others will get worried."

_You need not __**climb**__ the mountain, sorcerer. _

"Oh, no, you're right!" Merlin snorted. "I'll just fly up there, why don't I?"

There was a pressing silence, and Merlin rolled his eyes.

"You're being ridiculous, you know!"

He yanked off his windbreaker, grabbed it one-handedly by the arms, and used his other around to direct the wind currents to begin cycling, spinning, and growing. Eyes gold, he funneled the air into his jacket. Merlin was yanked off the ground as his jacket shot upwards. He kept close to the altitude of the volcano and, left arm exhausted, made a rough landing near the lip.

"Alright. Come meet me!"

_Into the volcano, Merlin._

Merlin cast a pulse into the volcano. He watched the light disappear into the vapor and waited for a response.

There was a sentient being in the volcano.

Merlin sighed loudly before jumping into the mist.

He plummeted for a few excruciating seconds before his jacket caught enough air to start slowing him down. He kept a sharp lookout for the ground, but could see nothing through the steam. His pulse orb glowed a soft blue in the distance, and he tried to direct his fall towards it.

That's when Merlin landed feet-first into a cold lake. He swallowed a shout with a mouthful of water, broke spluttering to the surface, and swam his way over to soft light of his pulse. At the bottom of the volcano—although Merlin wasn't sure it qualified as such when there was no lava down here—the air was clear, but he still could not see anyone else.

Then one of what Merlin had previously assumed were rock walls shifted, and Merlin found himself face-to-schnoz with a dragon.

"You're a funny little fellow, aren't you?" the dragon chuckled, shaking the ground and wafting the smell of rotting fish over Merlin.

"And unappetizing too, I hear." Merlin carefully retreated along the rock. "You wanted something?"

The dragon regarded him with enormous yellow eyes. "Your arrival here will unleash a great chain of events that will rule the fate of this isle."

"So we are on an island, then?"

"The balance here is broken." The dragon continued speaking as if Merlin hadn't said anything. "In order to survive, you must protect the Great Uniter."

"Right." Merlin lost his footing and nearly slid back into the lake. "I'll let you know when I meet him. Or her."

"The Uniter will face—"

"And what's your angle? What are you after?" Merlin interrupted.

"—many threats from friend and foe alike—"

"I don't even know who this Uniter is!"

"It's Arthur," the dragon snapped. "The Great Uniter is Arthur Pendragon." He tossed his head annoyedly.

"No way," Merlin snorted. "Arthur's a complete bully."

"That is neither here nor there," the dragon said mystically. "None of us can choose our destiny, Merlin." He stared pointedly down at Merlin. "And none of us can escape it."

Merlin glared back as best he could. He felt that his efforts were undermined by the fact that the dragon's eyes were nearly twice the size of Merlin's entire body. "Is there another way out of here that doesn't involve climbing back up the volcano? I should get back to everyone else."

The dragon crossed his giant claws in a dignified motion. _Follow along the wall. It is submerged._

"Thanks," Merlin said uncertainly. He sent the pulses ahead of him and, sure enough, came across an opening a few hundred yards from the dragon. Merlin zipped up his windbreaker and dove down through the gap. On the other side was an uphill chamber; he shook his head to get the water out of his ears and started the ascent.

It took fewer than ten minutes to reach the outside of the volcano, and he could see how the river flowed down to the ocean. Merlin wrung his shirt and began the hike.

It was much easier walking alongside the river than trailblazing the jungle. Merlin grew increasingly aware of his sopping clothes, scraped hands, cut face, and overall battered body. He was exhausted, physically and magically, and still in a mild state of shock from having seen a dragon.

As he staggered onto the beach, Gwen ran to meet him.

"Oh, Merlin. What happened? Are you alright?"

Merlin broke into a smile. "I see you found the water."

"I didn't realize you'd left until too late," Gwen said. "I was going to say that, since all water leads to the sea, it would be most efficient to search the coastline for water sources; but I'd turned around and you'd already gone."

"At least we found the water, right?"

"It's not too far to get back to camp," Gwen said. "We couldn't move the boat, so Gaius took a line all the way up to the trees. Leon made us coverings for tonight and is cooking dinner with Morgana right now. We were about to arrange a rescue mission for you, but Gaius thought you would make it back alright." She hugged him impulsively. "Are you alright?" She prodded his shoulder anxiously.

"Just tired," Merlin said.

"Here, you can lean on me."

It didn't take long to get back to camp. Mr. Pendragon shouted warnings at Morgana where she sat close to the fire, Arthur napped nearby on a pile of the boat's cushions, Leon poked hopefully at a fish on a flat rock in the fire, and Gaius was furiously consulting maps. And even though Merlin hadn't been away but for a couple of hours and the majority of the people were total strangers, it felt a lot like coming home.


	3. Chapter 3

The fish was an unfortunate combination of burnt and mashed. All of the Pendragons refused to touch it, and although Merlin gagged his way through it while Leon twisted his hands and apologized profusely for the taste, texture, and smell of dinner, Merlin wasn't sure that he wouldn't be vomiting at the edge of the woods later in the evening.

Leon had created three lean-tos: one for Mr. Pendragon and Arthur, one for Gwen and Morgana, and one for him, Gaius, and Merlin. After Merlin and confirmed Gwen's theory that they were indeed on an island, Mr. Pendragon ordered patrols to flag down any ships that might pass in the night. Leon volunteered to take first shift, Merlin opted for second, and Arthur agreed to third.

Of all the seat cushions, there was only one allotted to the most occupied lean-to. Merlin offered it to Gaius, who was leaning against a tree rather than lying on the sand.

"What on earth happened to you out there?" Even though Merlin couldn't see his face, he knew that Gaius' eyebrow was anchored to his hairline.

"Which part are you asking about? The giant mud monster that attacked us on the boat or the dragon that's hiding out in a volcano about a fifteen minute walk from here?"

"A dragon?" Merlin had never heard Gaius sound so shrill.

"He's not unfriendly, per say," he assured him quickly. Gaius was strong for his age, but Merlin didn't think he needed any unnecessary shocks. "He was very agreeable, if not intentionally mysterious. The scrapes are just from me flying up the mountain."

"You flew up the mountain."

"Drifted, more so. But that's not the important bit. What's important is why we crashed."

"The storm was of a magical nature. There was something foul beyond the ocean's wrath, but I could not study it."

"It was foul all right." Merlin shuddered at the memory of the decrepit creature. "Taller than a man, hunched and reeking like a bog—"

"A bog?" Gaius repeated.

"You know how bad a bog can smell," Merlin said. "It had these giant teeth, and it was definitely a creature of magic. I could feel it."

"A creature of magic how?"

"Not like me. Like someone else created it. It was not a thing of nature, Gaius. I cast a net overboard when I was trying to discern the cause of the storm, and it was immediately filled with dead fish. That monster's very presence was noxious."

"Do you know what it was?"

"No. I'd never seen it before. I had to use wind and fire to destroy it."

"Which is how my Alice was scorched."

"I'm sorry, Gaius—"

"No, my boy. You did what was right." Gaius sighed heavily. Merlin waited respectfully. He didn't know all that Gaius' boat meant to him, only that it was Gaius' most sentimental possession. Merlin focused on the fire on the shore. The fog was too dense to make out Leon's body, and Merlin doubted that, even if a ship passed by in the night, Leon could spot it.

Gaius shifted and Merlin looked away from the faint firelight.

"I fear that we are being targeted, and I do not know why."

"Maybe it's not us being targeted," Merlin mused. "The Pendragons bought out the trip. They could have enemies. How do you know Mr. Pendragon anyways?"

"Uther and I fought in the war together. He was a major general and I was a field doctor. We had not kept in touch, and he decided to do our boat cruise because he just discovered that their original day plan was leaked and Ms. le Lay's fans lay in wait."

"Did you stay the course?" Merlin asked. He hadn't been paying the closest attention during the cruise; perhaps they were on different waters.

"Until the storm struck," Gaius sniffed. "At that point I was more concerned with keeping the Alice afloat."

"Why would anyone target us?" Merlin pulled at his hair.

"I am considerably more concerned with the who than the why," Gaius huffed. "Only one of those answers can help us now. What did the dragon have to say?"

"A load of rubbish," Merlin moaned. "It was all about how Arthur's the destined hero of the island and I'm supposed be protecting him. Get in line to kick his butt, more like it. I wouldn't be surprised if his enemies were the reason we were attacked."

"As unpleasant as you may find him," Gaius said sternly, "he is still one of our party. It won't bode well if we do not hold firm together."

"Gaius," Merlin whined. "You saw how he was treating me!"

"He'll grow bored of his antics eventually." Gaius didn't have an ounce of pity in his bones. "Now you would do best to catch some winks before it is your turn to keep watch."

"For what?" Merlin rolled so that he wasn't facing Gaius. It was a pointless gesture because it was far too dark for Merlin to see Gaius anyways, but Merlin was feeling petulant. "If we're being targeted, it's not like our tormentor will let another boat pick us up. And even if there was another boat, there's no way for us to see it, or it us!"

"Sometimes the reason we do things is not for the purpose claimed," Gaius said. "Don't take away their hope, Merlin."

Merlin didn't have a response, so he glowered at the distant fire until sleep took him.

He was woken up what felt like a minute later by Leon.

"How are you Merlin? It's time for your shift."

Merlin blearily looked up at Leon's shadowy face. "Yeah, right. Right. Yeah."

"If you're still feeling under the weather, I could take your shift," Leon offered reluctantly.

"No, it's fine." Merlin heaved himself to his feet and slouched towards the dwindling fire.

"I collected firewood," Leon called after him, and as Merlin drew close to the fire, he saw a four foot high stack of branches and woody ferns.

Merlin's clothes had not completely dried out during dinner, and his shirt and trousers were stiff with sand. He dug out a chair next to the fire and, bathed in warmth and lulled by the waves, drifted back to sleep.

Merlin was reawakened with a clout to the head and a "_Merlin_, you _idiot_!" He flailed away from a glowering Arthur who looked more than ready to hit him again.

"Oi! Easy!" Merlin made to stand, tripped in the chair he had dug out, and ended up with a mouthful of sand and the cold water of high tide crashing over his head.

"You're impressively inept" are the first words he heard as he pulled his head out from the waves. "Not even in jest, Merlin; did you train for that level of incompetence or is it one of your many natural talents?"

"I would ask if you trained for that level of pratness, but I can't imagine a greater arse than you," Merlin retorted. "Is frustrating, being the greatest tool known to man?"

"You can't talk to me like that," Arthur said. "I'm a Pendragon."

"Your money does bloody all on this island." Merlin crossed his arms. "Try me."

"When we get off this island, you and Gaius will be sued for everything." Arthur cocked an arrogant eyebrow. "Oh, no, Merlin; did you lose your confidence?"

"Because of you?" Merlin snorted. "Lose my appetite, maybe. Look, I'm not looking to fight—"

"Not looking to do much of anything, apparently. Can't even keep watch."

Merlin glared at Arthur and only refrained from pointing out the obvious—that they were being kept prisoner by magical means and it was essentially impossible for them to be rescued—because Gaius had ordered him to play nice.

"Sorry," he said instead. "I missed the memo earlier about taking a nap. You know, while everyone else was working to ensure our survival."

"You didn't do anything." Arthur dropped down next to the fire. "You got lost, made Guinevere worry, and came back wounded. Can't weather a storm; can't even stay awake."

"That wasn't a normal storm," Merlin protested. He sat next to the fire. It wasn't particularly cold out, but he was chilled after getting hit by a wave.

"Go to bed," Arthur said. "You're useless as it is; I'll cover the end of your watch."

"I'm all damp," Merlin explained. He felt soggy, gritty, and annoyed. "You can just act like I'm not here."

Arthur threw him a side-along look, and Merlin refused to look back. He kept staring into the fire.

"There's something about you," Arthur muttered. Merlin wasn't sure if he was supposed to hear it "I can't quite put my finger on it."

Merlin smiled and stared, golden-eyed, into the embers of the fire.


	4. Chapter 4

A.N. Most everything up to the end of this chapter has extensively been exposition, so thank you kind readers for putting up with the gratuitous character, back story, and setting development that proliferate these first four chapters. Allow me to assure you that plot is fast approaching!

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Merlin woke to the brash tones of Mr. Pendragon berating Gwen for being unable to use the pieces of S.S. Alice to build a smaller boat. Gwen, mouth pinched and eyebrows furrowed, calmly explained that she lacked the proper welding equipment and energy source for the task.

"The fact of the matter," Gwen said, turning to address everyone who had gathered around the fire, "is that there is no current feasible solution for our getting ourselves off this island within a week. We can scour the land for resources and, from those resources, potentially construct a seaworthy vessel. Our priority, at this time, is our health. Leon, you did an excellent job in building these lean-tos. We should focus our energy upon reinforcing those structures and finding a sustainable food sources."

"Any moment not spent in escaping this island is a moment wasted!" Mr. Pendragon huffed.

"Guinevere makes a valid point." Gaius appeared to have aged decades overnight. His face was wrinkled and his eyes sunken. He nodded deferentially to Mr. Pendragon before continuing. "I began consulting the stars last night, and I believe the storm carried us many miles off-course. Our current location is uncertain, and that makes it increasingly important that we are at optimal health when we attempt departure." Gwen smiled warmly at Gaius.

"We could get rescued!" Merlin absently wondered if Morgana intended to riddle every single word with dramatic flair or if it was a byproduct of being an actress.

"That would be the most ideal option. Unfortunately, I have yet to establish the conditions of the electro-magnetic variations of this region, and thus we have no reliable transmitter. This will severely decrease our chances of contacting passing ships. We will have to rely upon smoke signals until I can build a sufficient proxy."

"You should begin work on that yesterday," Arthur said.

"Do tell us if there's anything we can do to help," Leon added politely.

"I hope we find our freedom before the volcano erupts," Morgana said woefully. "Yes, Gwen; do tell us how to help!"

"That's not a volcano. Or, at least, not an active one." Gwen motioned at the not-so-distant volcano. "That mist covers this entire island and appears to be primarily water vapor. With a volcano—especially an active one—we would be smelling, tasting, and feeling ash. If the mist stops and ash starts, then we should be concerned. But as it is now, that volcano is the least of our priorities."

"So if we were to make a list of priorities," Merlin said, "what should we do right now?"

"Breakfast," Leon suggested. "I know I let you all down with the fish last night, and I understand if you do not want me involved in future food preparation, but in my defense, I was cooking in a campfire on a rock."

"If I may," Gaius said, "I would suggest that Leon, Guinevere, and Merlin scout for food while I consult the maps and the Pendragons plan housing designs." He leveled an eyebrow at Merlin that somehow conveyed 'keep them away from the dragon.'

"I accept the task," Leon said. "Guinevere, Merlin—when you're ready."

"Yeah, I'm ready." Merlin stumbled to his feet. His joints were sore from spending a night sleeping on the beach.

"We should follow the river," Gwen said.

"Ah, no, I went that way yesterday," Merlin said. "How about we follow the coastline and begin exploring the other side of the island?"

Gwen opened her mouth to disagree, but Leon spoke first. "Good idea. We'll have an overarching knowledge of the island that will doubtlessly be indispensable."

"I also didn't see much sign of edible vegetation over there," Merlin added.

"Alright," Gwen agreed, and she led the way down the coastline.

Leon kept staring off the shore and Gwen's gaze was fixed on the tree line, but Merlin had to stare at the ground to avoid tripping in the sand. He wasn't used to walking on sand; it was exhausting and oddly slippery.

"So have you two known each other long?" Merlin asked once he felt that he had mastered sand-walking.

"Not very well, I'm afraid," Leon said. "We attended the same school briefly. I am two years older than Arthur. We were on the same polo team, and after Mr. Pendragon vetted me, he gave me the option of training to be his assistant and, eventually, assist Arthur when he takes over the business. I've been in training since I was sixteen years old."

"Uther does like having control over his children's friends," Gwen said. "He made a similar offer to me. I've been Morgana's best friend since we were nine years old, and when I was eleven, he informed me that he would set me on track to being Morgana's manager."

"Did you?" Merlin asked.

"Of course not," Gwen said. "I can't stand theatre. The calling card of theatre is inaccuracy and the entire process is about reflection and duplication. Arrogance runs rampant and logic is discarded in all but financial matters."

Leon threw a look over his shoulder and, convinced that they were out of earshot from Uther, said "I would like to apologize on behalf of Mr. Pendragon. The way he was speaking to you was most unnecessary."

"I don't mind," Gwen said. "He's actually the man who put me on track to pursue science."

"Did he?" Leon said. "He always seemed to think that sciences were above women. Not that I agree with him!"

"Precisely." Gwen smiled kindly at Leon. "I had big dreams of being the first in my family to go to college. I worked hard to win scholarships to attend private schools. My father is a welder, and I had learned some of the trade. But when I met Morgana's father, that's when I wanted to prove to myself and the world that a woman can succeed in a man's profession. I completed my undergraduate studies in chemistry, physics, and biology. I know neuroscience, sociology, pathology, astronomy, geology, zoology, and botany. I've performed surgeries in Zimbabwe, studied the Amazon forests, and taught in Switzerland. I will leave no leaf unturned in my quest for knowledge."

"Wow." Merlin was beginning to feel inadequate. "Remind me not to get in your way."

"We're lucky to have you," Leon said, and he promptly blushed. "Not that I wanted you to be shipwrecked upon this island, or that you should carry the burden of our survival—"

"I didn't think that at all." Gwen looked oddly charmed. "Not that I'm opposed to playing a key role in our survival, and not that you all need me to play a key role—"

"I'm going to stop you right there," Merlin said.. "Because we totally need you."

"Very true," Leon seconded. "And if I may ask, what type of plants are we looking for?"

"Any type of fruit and short greens. Ferns are likely to be entirely unsalvageable." Gwen sent both of them a smile. "We may turn to eating bugs for protein. Unsavory, yes, but it is a modern practice in many countries."

Leon looked ready to hurl.

"We could try fishing again," Merlin suggested.

"Cooking takes a lot of time." Gwen turned to Leon. "You did about as well as could be expected last night given what you had."

"We could build an oven," Leon suggested. "We can use part of the wreckage as a baking sheet and I could weave potholders from the palm fronds."

Turning to look at the man, Merlin reckoned that Leon had had a lot of experience weaving potholders.

"First we would need to find material that burns hotter than our current combustibles." Gwen began rambling about the logistics of ventilation and heat containment. She was explaining about the necessity of some sort of mortar for the chimney when Merlin grabbed her arm.

"What?" Gwen asked, and Merlin pointed.

Tucked into the tree line stood a hut. There was laundry hanging outside and the thin line of smoke from a fire pit in the sand.

"Goodness!" Gwen gasped, and without further ado they broke into a run.

"Hello?" Leon called as they approached the encampment. It was a tidy fenced-in area, and set in front of a less-dense section of the jungle.

There was no response.

"Do you think he's alright?" Gwen asked.

"She, by the looks of it." Leon pointed to unmentionables hanging on the line.

The hut lacked a door, so Merlin just rapped on the bamboo doorframe.

"Should we go in?" Gwen asked.

"Seems rude," Leon said. "She might be in a state of undress." He was very diligently not looking at the clothesline.

Merlin knocked once more, and then he parted the giant palms screening the door and entered the hut.

The room was definitely established. There was a bed frame and mattress that appeared to be constructed from bamboo and industrial seat covers, a three-tiered shelf held together by vines, a circular mirror mounted on the bamboo wall, and a woven grass carpet. There was, however, no person in the room.

Merlin turned around to see that Gwen and Leon had entered behind him.

"Maybe she's out in the jungle," Leon suggested.

"Oh my God."

Merlin and Leon looked at Gwen. She was staring at the mattress with an unreadably thunderstruck expression.

"Gwen?" Leon asked, and they all jumped as the curtain of leaves shifted and a woman backed into the hut with a basket of small yellow fruits.

"Um, sorry to intrude," Leon coughed. The woman dropped her basket and span around to stare at them. "We just shipwrecked here, you see, and we were looking for food and saw your hut—"

"Everyone assumed you were dead," Gwen breathed. Merlin and Leon turned to look at her.

"You know her?" they asked in unison.

The woman's face broke into a smile. "Helen Mora," she said with a curtsy. "At your service."


End file.
